For many people, life is chaos. Do you ever feel a bit stressed out from the hustle and bustle of life?

Yet “God has called us to live in peace” (1 Corinthians 7:15).

And the peace to which he has called us is SHALOM (wholeness, wellness). God has called us to live full, balanced lives.

Jesus described shalom like this:

Matthew 6:25–34 (ESV): Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

God calls us to live in peace. That’s how he made the world. Creation achieves optimum efficiency when it is balanced.

CREATION: God’s antidote to CHAOS is “COSMOS” (order)

Genesis 1:1–2 (ESV): 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

God created the world by calling cosmos to emerge from chaos. He spoke his WORD into the chaos and order developed within the molecular structure of the universe, manifesting as patterns and frequencies of time, space and matter. When the WORD of God penetrated the chaos, the infinite fractals inherent to the triune life of the one God (for God exists as the supreme order, the Prime Mathematician!) emerged into material reality and the universe manifested visibly the invisible glory of God. (Romans 1:20) The WORD OF GOD is the basis for balance and order of life at the “molecular” level: the heart.

And when the cosmos emerged from the chaos, life was formed into a twenty-four hour day and seven day week—into a 24/7 pattern. (Genesis 1, 2)

The 24/7 pattern—and we shall see in a moment that the patterns extend out to monthly and yearly, as well—is the fundamental pattern of life. God built us as creatures of time, and when we ignore the patterns of time he created us to inhabit, we begin to fray around the edges and disintegrate. We lose shalom.

We were designed to be a “renewable resource,” so to speak, and when we ignore the need to renew and refuel, we crash and burn.

RHYTHM AND BALANCE: Rhythm and balance are products of MEASURED time and space.

Psalm 90:12 (ESV): So teach us to number (measure) our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

“Teach us measure our days.” This can refer to “goal setting,” but it also refers to adjusting to shifting seasons of life. Teach me to measure—“count the rhythm “—of every season of life.

We must learn how to reset our rhythm and bring life back into rhythm and balance. We must cooperate with the 24/7 pattern.

Without an objective, outside measure, a CENTER to which time and space can be related, rhythm and balance are lost. Christ must be the center. When Christ is our center, life revolves around him in perfect orbit. The first step in “finding balance in the busy” is to arrange life around Jesus.

Walk, run or dance, it’s all about balance and rhythm (stride = timing).

Life is about WHAT you put on your calendar and WHEN you put it on your calendar (priorities). And the WHAT and the WHEN are determined by the WHY (values). A life centered in Christ is a life with a WHY.

Here’s the takeaway: Life was created to ebb and flow in patterns. It’s the way God made the world.

1. Daily rhythms: morning, noon and night. (Take 5)

2. Weekly rhythms: Sabbath (day of rest)

3. Monthly rhythms: New moon (getaway)

4. Yearly rhythms: Sabbatical (vacation, holiday)

5. Life seasons: Successful transitions

What will YOU do to bring life into balance and rhythm?

Life is a dance. Find your rhythm.

small groups study guide (Session One)

Three main points to discuss:

1. God spoke his word into the chaos of creation and formed cosmos.

Discuss ways that you can speak God's word into your chaos (disorder) and command cosmos (order) to appear.

What are the best methods for finding "words" from God to speak into your life?

Share examples of how God's word has reordered your life.

2. Sometimes, as seasons shift, we must "reset our rhythm."

What does it mean to "reset our rhythm"?

Discuss ways that we can adjust to new seasons of life and find our balance as we face new challenges.

Share examples of times that you adjusted well (or not!) to new seasons of life.

3. God created the world in a "24/7" pattern.

In what ways to you see the 24/7 pattern impact your life both positively and negatively?

Discuss creative ways you can develop daily and weekly routines that will help you achieve balance in life.